The new ITIL 4 Certification Scheme

Since beginning of 2019, ITIL 4 is officially available on the ever-changing and highly volatile market of IT Service Management frameworks. There are plenty out there, but without a question, ITIL is one of the most prominent ones (if not THE most prominent).

Over the past decades, ITIL has evolved a lot and adopted to new requirements, technologies and ways of working. Along with this, also the available certifications and credentials have changed.

This article is meant to describe the current status (as of May 2025) of the ITIL 4 Certification Scheme.

Step 1 – ITIL 4 Foundation

There is no way around it – ITIL 4 Foundation is your entry gate into the magical world of modern Service Management.

You can either go for the exam-only option directly on the PeopleCert homepage, or you can opt for an exam + course offering of an accredited partner. If you would like to have a look at or offering, you can do so HERE.

It is quite important to familiarize yourself with the sctructures, the ideas and the terminology, as this will be (as the name already states) the foundation for your journey into the deeper waters of ITIL.

But what to do after the Foundation?

Well, there you have three options. You can become a Practice Manager, Managing Professional or Strategic Leader. Let’s see what those are.

ITIL 4 Practice Manager

The ITIL 4 Practice Manager focuses on the effective management of a specific IT practice within an organization. A Practice Manager is responsible for delivering value to the organization through the management of a specific IT practice.

Achieve any five individual practice-based certifications from the Practice Manager track to gain this dedication.

ITIL 4 Managing Professional

The ITIL 4 Managing Professional focuses on the effective management of IT services and the delivery of value to the organization. The ITIL 4 Managing Professional is responsible for managing the IT services that support the organization's strategy and goals.

Complete "Create, Deliver and Support", "Drive Stakeholder Value", "High Velocity IT" and "Direct, Plan and Improve" to earn this dedication,

ITIL 4 Strategic Leader

The ITIL 4 Strategic Leader focuses on the effective management of IT and digital transformation within an organization. The ITIL 4 Strategic Leader is responsible for driving digital transformation and ensuring that IT is aligned with the organization's overall strategy and goals.

Complete "Direct, Plan and Improve" and "Digital and IT Strategy" to earn this dedication,

How to become an ITIL 4 Master

PeopleCert has released the path leading to the ITIL 4 Master designation, which is available on their web page.

To be eligible for the Master Designation, candidates must fulfill the following conditions:

Achieved ITIL 4 Practice Manager
Achieved ITIL 4 Managing Professional
Achieved ITIL 4 Strategic Leader

In order to achieve the Master level, one must be able to demonstrate a deep level of hands-on knowledge about the framework and must be able to apply it in real-life situations allowing organizations to continually improve their services and quality.

There is no need for an application.

The certification will be provided upon completing the above mentioned dedications.

And then the time of bragging begins, as you can count yourself to the very few, who actually achieved the ITIL 4 Master Level.